Guidance

Export Working Capital Scheme

Find out about our Export Working Capital Scheme: its benefits, eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Our Export Working Capital Scheme helps UK exporters access working capital finance for specific export-related contracts.

We can provide partial guarantees covering up to 80% of the risk to lenders to cover the credit risks associated with export working capital facilities both pre- and post-shipment.

There is no minimum or maximum value for the working capital facility.

How it works

Export Working Capital Scheme

Benefits

The scheme is particularly useful when a UK exporter wins an overseas contract that is higher in value than they can typically fulfil or succeeds in winning more overseas contracts than it has done before.

The lender is protected, to the extent of our guarantee, against the failure of the UK exporter to repay amounts due under the working capital facility.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for support under our Export Working Capital Scheme, the transaction must satisfy UKEF’s eligibility criteria, which includes the requirements that:

  • the exporter must be carrying on business in the UK, Isle of Man or Channel Islands
  • the exporter must have entered, or be intending to enter, into a contract for the supply of goods and/or services with a company or other organisation that carries on business outside the UK

All transactions supported by UKEF must satisfy:

The transaction may not be supported if there are sanctions imposed on the country of the overseas customer.

Cost

The guaranteed lender pays us a guarantee fee. This is a proportion of the interest margin received from the UK exporter for providing the working capital facility.

How to apply

To access Export Working Capital Support, exporters should discuss their potential application with their bank.

Exporters who bank with one of the names listed below may be able to benefit from a streamlined process. There is no need to fill in any of the forms on this page.

To find out more about our Export Working Capital Scheme or to discuss eligibility for our support, contact our customer services team.

Contact customer.service@ukexportfinance.gov.uk or call +44 (0)20 7271 8010.

Contact details for approved lenders

Access our Export Working Capital Scheme directly through your bank

You do not need to complete the forms on this page if you bank with:

Lender Contact Telephone Email
Barclays UK Paul Bowman N/A paul.bowman3@barclays.com
Barclays International Mathew Enright N/A mathew.enright@barclays.com
HSBC UK Bank Plc Liz Ambler (London and South East) N/A elizabethambler@hsbc.com
  Matt Osborn (Midlands, South West and Wales) N/A matt.j.osborn@hsbc.com
  Barry Millar (North, including Scotland and Northern Ireland) N/A barry.millar@hsbc.com
Lloyds Banking Group/Bank of Scotland Plc Trade Finance N/A TradeFinance@lloydsbanking.com
National Westminster Bank Plc Chris Duggan, SolutionsLine Team 0800 2100235 internationalbanking@natwest.com
The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc Chris Duggan, SolutionsLine Team 0800 2100235 internationalbanking@rbs.co.uk
Santander UK Plc Trade and Supplier Finance N/A tradeandsupplierfinanceproduct@santander.co.uk
Virgin Money Simon Hayden N/A simon.hayden@cybg.com

Application forms

If accessing our Export Working Capital Scheme through another approved lender use the following forms:

More information

Published 24 April 2013
Last updated 20 November 2023 + show all updates
  1. Removed references to Global Facility product.

  2. Contact listed for Virgin Money.

  3. Ulster Bank removed.

  4. Banks can no longer submit “paper applications” to use UKEF short term products. Relevant details have now been removed.

  5. Contact information for ABN Amro changed.

  6. Contact information changed ABN AMRO

  7. Contact information for State Bank of India, London Main Branch updated.

  8. Barclays contact details updated

  9. HSBC Jill Hauge replaced with Bill Millar.

  10. Updated following announcement that small businesses can now access government-backed export finance directly from their banks.

  11. Change to Security of Information Arrangements

  12. First published.